Post-Pandemic Office Solutions

Are you ready for employees to safely return to the workplace?Due to the new realities of the coronavirus pandemic, the open-plan office must change.
Facilities managers, designers, and building owners need to get ready NOW for your workforce to return safely.
Find out how Good Earth Plants can help you get back to business!

Living Walls

What is a living wall?

Living Wall – Westgate Hotel, San Diego

Human beings have been growing plants on walls for centuries. One of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a living wall: the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

Also known as green walls, vertical gardens, plant walls and edible walls, the modern version we know as a living wall today has become a mainstream feature of homes, offices, and public buildings. Living walls keep growing in popularity, limited only by human creativity.

A basic living wall is a plant such as ivy vines growing up the side of a building. A more complex living wall uses an engineered trellis system with plants rooted into a growing medium within the structure, but separate from the building. This system allows for more creative options. The most complex living walls systems include four elements: growing media, structural support, integrated irrigation and a drainage system.

Living walls can exist inside with the right lighting, or outside in almost any climate. They can be planted randomly or display intricate patterns. Living walls can use a recirculating irrigation system, drip irrigation and a drain, or be watered by hand.

Speeding healing in hospital settings; patients recover more quickly, and use less pain medication when a living wall is visible

Adding humidity to interior air, lowering heating and cooling costs

Highlights our living wall projects in the Los Angeles area.

Consultation & Design

It isn’t too difficult for a skilled designer or landscaper to plan, specify and install a living wall and have it look good on day one.

But please ask ONE critical question before you hire anyone: How will it look in a year? Three years? Five years?

For two decades, Good Earth Plant Company has conducted long-term trials of 20 different living wall systems, both inside and outside. We can confidently recommend the best system for your location and individual needs. We have firsthand knowledge on which plants work best in each setting, how to choose and install the right irrigation system, how to make adjustments for lighting, and ongoing growth and maintenance needs.

Good Earth Plant Company can help you determine the feasibility of your living wall project, and help you design the perfect living wall which will grow and thrive and improve the design of any indoor or outdoor space, making your investment pay off for many years to come.

Our consulting team includes experienced architects, landscape architects, and horticulturalists. We deliver the in-depth support you need for an informed decision and a project that will stand the test of time.

Installation

How is a living wall installed?

No matter the size from a small interior living wall display to a huge exterior living wall on the side of a multistory building, Good Earth Plant Company’s expert installation team will carefully address all installation issues to ensure your living wall project is structurally sound, safe, and secure.

We integrate your irrigation system to prevent any seepage or leaks. We troubleshoot all potential safety concerns, including mold or instability, while keeping your living wall watered and healthy.

Good Earth Plant Company’s professional installers take care to cause minimum disruption to your home or business. But we never take any shortcuts with quality or safety. In many cases, small projects can be installed in one day. Larger projects can usually be installed in less than a week.

NOTE: The lead time for some systems is up to four months. This allows the plants to fully grow into the system before we hang it on your wall. This ensures the long-term health of the plants, and integrity of the living wall we create for you.

Maintenance

Do living walls need ongoing maintenance?

All landscapes, whether on the ground, on a roof, or on a wall require maintenance. It is a mistake to believe a living wall is any different. No matter how well designed, specified or built, maintenance is the key to a long lasting, successful, and beautiful living wall.

After the initial installation of a living wall, ongoing maintenance preserves your investment. Maintenance may be required for a system warranty.

When you take time to thoughtfully install a carefully specified system tailored to your unique needs, with perfectly selected plants, and an even, efficient irrigation distribution, living walls can be virtually self-sustaining. Similar to home and garden plants, a living wall needs regular trimming and cleaning. It must be regularly fertilized, and replacement plants should be added as needed.

During the initial period, plants are establishing themselves and filling in the wall for complete coverage. The potential for a weed infestation is greatest during the establishment period but can be kept in control easily with regular inspections.

Good Earth Plant Company can provide maintenance and care for living walls. We schedule weekly, bimonthly, monthly or quarterly maintenance and conduct checkups to ensure your living wall is always looking its best. We can quickly catch potential maintenance issues early when they are easiest (and least costly) to address. We monitor and adjust irrigation, prune and weed the wall as it grows, and ensure growth is progressing well.

Protecting your investment and maintaining its structural and artistic integrity is important to our ongoing commitment to you as a client. Customized programs are available.

Edible Walls

Can I grow fruits and vegetables in a living wall?

The idea of vertical farming and “victory farms” are not new. Today, urban farmers have embraced edible walls as another way to grow locally and introduce food production into the urban environment where traditional space for a garden doesn’t exist.

Although most edible walls are grown outdoors due to the high lighting requirements of herbs, fruits and vegetables, Good Earth Plant Company pioneered the use of LED grow lights for indoor farms.

Selective fruits, vegetables, and herbs can be grown on a wall within its requirements.

An edible wall can bring an entire farm to found space in the middle of an urban environment. Cutting edge restaurants such as Mario Batali’s Pizzeria Mozza locations and Seasons 52 have embraced edible walls, proving their commitment to sustainability and crowd-pleasing fresh menus.

For families, an edible wall can be a great way to incorporate fresh produce into your meals, and teach your kids about gardening and the importance of healthy eating.

Space

What if I want a living wall, but the space I have won’t work?

In some cases, a living wall can’t be installed due to limitations in the space available. But you can still get the design impact and benefits from alternative choices, such as a replica plant wall, a moss wall, or a combination of these choices.

See our information on Replica Plant Walls and Moss Walls. Replica Plant Walla and Moss Walls have quickly become a hot design trend. Good Earth Plant Company can show you the many options available for incorporating nature into your environment through these alternatives.